Genesis 31:19
New International Version
When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household gods.

New Living Translation
At the time they left, Laban was some distance away, shearing his sheep. Rachel stole her father’s household idols and took them with her.

English Standard Version
Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole her father’s household gods.

Berean Standard Bible
Now while Laban was out shearing his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols.

King James Bible
And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's.

New King James Version
Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel had stolen the household idols that were her father’s.

New American Standard Bible
Laban had gone to shear his flock, and Rachel stole the household idols that were her father’s.

NASB 1995
When Laban had gone to shear his flock, then Rachel stole the household idols that were her father’s.

NASB 1977
When Laban had gone to shear his flock, then Rachel stole the household idols that were her father’s.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now Laban had gone to shear his flock. Then Rachel stole the household idols that were her father’s.

Amplified Bible
When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel [went inside the house and] stole her father’s household gods.

Christian Standard Bible
When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols.

American Standard Version
Now Laban was gone to shear his sheep: and Rachel stole the teraphim that were her father's.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Laban went to shear his flock and Rakhyl stole the images of her father.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Laban went to shear his sheep; and Rachel stole her father's images.

Contemporary English Version
Before Rachel left, she stole the household idols while Laban was out shearing his sheep.

Douay-Rheims Bible
At that time Laban was gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole away her father's idols.

English Revised Version
Now Laban was gone to shear his sheep: and Rachel stole the teraphim that were her father's.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When Laban went to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father's idols.

Good News Translation
Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and during his absence Rachel stole the household gods that belonged to her father.

International Standard Version
Meanwhile, Laban had been out shearing his sheep. While he was away, Rachel stole her father's personal idols.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Now Laban was gone to shear his sheep. And Rachel stole the teraphim that were her father's.

Literal Standard Version
And Laban has gone to shear his flock, and Rachel steals the teraphim which her father has;

Majority Standard Bible
Now while Laban was out shearing his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols.

New American Bible
Now Laban was away shearing his sheep, and Rachel had stolen her father’s household images.

NET Bible
While Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole the household idols that belonged to her father.

New Revised Standard Version
Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole her father’s household gods.

New Heart English Bible
Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole the idols that belonged to her father.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Laban went to shear his sheep; and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's.

World English Bible
Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep; and Rachel stole the teraphim that were her father’s.

Young's Literal Translation
And Laban hath gone to shear his flock, and Rachel stealeth the teraphim which her father hath;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jacob Flees from Laban
18and he drove all his livestock before him, along with all the possessions he had acquired in Paddan-aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land in Canaan. 19Now while Laban was out shearing his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols. 20Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was running away.…

Cross References
Genesis 31:20
Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was running away.

Genesis 31:30
Now you have gone off because you long for your father's house. But why have you stolen my gods?"

Genesis 31:34
Now Rachel had taken Laban's household idols, put them in the saddlebag of her camel, and was sitting on them. And Laban searched everything in the tent but found nothing.

Genesis 31:35
Rachel said to her father, "Sir, do not be angry that I cannot stand up before you; for I am having my period." So Laban searched, but could not find the household idols.

Genesis 35:2
So Jacob told his household and all who were with him, "Get rid of the foreign gods that are among you. Purify yourselves and change your garments.

Judges 17:5
Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some household idols, and ordained one of his sons as his priest.

Judges 18:17
And the five men who had gone to spy out the land went inside and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, while the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred armed men.


Treasury of Scripture

And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's.

images.

Genesis 31:30,32
And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods? …

Genesis 35:2
Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:

Joshua 24:2
And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.

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Belonged Cutting Father's Flock Gods House Household Idols Images Laban Rachel Secretly Shear Sheep Stealeth Stole Stolen Teraphim Wool
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Belonged Cutting Father's Flock Gods House Household Idols Images Laban Rachel Secretly Shear Sheep Stealeth Stole Stolen Teraphim Wool
Genesis 31
1. Jacob, displeased with the envy of Laban and his sons, departs secretly.
19. Rachel steals her father's household gods.
22. Laban pursues after him, and complains of the wrong.
34. Rachel's plan to hide the images.
36. Jacob's complaint of Laban.
43. The covenant of Laban and Jacob at Galeed.














(19) Laban went to shear his sheep.--The sheep-shearing was a joyous time, when the hard toil of the shearers was relieved by feasting ( 1Samuel 25:8 ). Laban's flocks, apparently, were also at some distance from Haran, and his sons and men-servants would all be with him, busily occupied in the work. Apparently, too, Laban's wealth was not seriously diminished, though it had not of late increased; and his repeated change of the hire proves that he was quite able to take care of himself. But why was not Jacob present, as he had chief charge of Laban's flocks? Possibly, he was expected there, and was missed; but, more probably, as the result of the growing estrangement between them, caused by the too rapid increase of Jacob's riches, Laban and his sons had gradually taken the management of their flocks into their own hands.

Images.--Heb., teraphim, called Laban's gods in Genesis 31:30, and we find that their worship continued throughout the Old Testament history. Micah sets up teraphim, as well as a molten and a graven image, and an ephod (Judges 18:17). Though in 1Samuel 15:23, where the Authorised Version has idolatry, teraphim are spoken of in strong terms of condemnation, yet Michal possessed them, and placed them in David's bed. We gather from this that they had a head shaped like that of a man, but, probably, a dwarf trunk, as she seems to have put more than one in the bed to represent David's body (1Samuel 19:13). So, too, here Rachel hides them under the camel's furniture (Genesis 31:34), which proves that they, in this case, were of no great size. In the history of the thorough reformation carried out by King Josiah we find the mention of teraphim among the things put away (2Kings 23:24). We learn, nevertheless, from Zechariah 10:2, that they were still used for divination; and from Hosea 3:4 that both pillars and teraphim had long been objects of ordinary superstition among the ten tribes. As Nebuchadnezzar divines by them (Ezekiel 21:21) they were possibly of Chaldean origin; and, probably, were not so much worshipped as used for consultation. Women seem to have been most given to their service, and probably regarded them as charms, and told fortunes by them; and here Rachel stole them upon the supposition that they would bring prosperity to her and her husband. . . .

Verse 19. - And Laban went - or, Now Laban had gone, probably to the other station, which was three days journey from Jacob's flocks (vide Genesis 30:36; and cf. Genesis 31:22) - to shear his sheep. In this work he would probably be detained several days, the time of shearing being commonly regarded as a festal season (cf. Genesis 38:12; 1 Samuel 25:4; 2 Samuel 13:23), at which friendly entertainments were given. Whether Jacob's absence from the festivities is to be explained by the dissension existing between him and Laban, which either caused him to be uninvited or led him to decline the invitation (Kurtz), or by the supposition that he had first gone and subsequently left the banquet (Lange), the fact that Laban was so engaged afforded Jacob the opportunity he desired for making his escape. And Rachel had stolen (or, "and Rachel stole," availing herself likewise of the opportunity presented by her father's absence) the images that were her father's. The teraphim, from an unused root, taraph, signifying to live comfortably, like the Sanscrit trip, Greek τρέφειν, Arabic tarafa (Gesenius, Furst, sub voces), appear to have been small human figures (cf. Genesis 31:34), though the image in 1 Samuel 19:13 must have been nearly life-size, or at least a full-sized bust, sometimes made of silver (Judges 17:4), though commonly constructed of wood (1 Samuel 19:13-16); they were worshipped as gods (εἰδωλα, LXX.; vide, Vulgate, cf. Genesis 31:30), consulted for oracles (Ezekiel 21:26; Zechariah 10:2), and believed to be the custodians and promoters of human happiness (Judges 18:24). Probably derived from the Aramaeans (Furst, Kurtz), or the Chaldeans (Ezekiel 21:21, Kalisch, Wordsworth), the worship of teraphim was subsequently denounced as idolatrous (1 Samuel 15:23; 2 Kings 13:24). Cf. with Rachel's act that ascribed to AEneas: -

"Effigies sacrae divum, Phrygiique Penates,
Quos mecum a Troja, mediisque ex ignibus urbis,"
Extuleram"


(Virg., 'AEn.,' 3. 148-150). Rachel's motive for abstracting her father's teraphim has been variously ascribed to a desire to prevent her father from discovering, by inquiring at his gods, the direction of their flight (Aben Ezra, Rosenmüller), to protect herself, in case, of being overtaken, by an appeal to her father s gods (Josephus), to draw her father from the practice of idolatry (Bazil, Gregory, Nazisnzen, Theodoret), to obtain children for herself through their assistance (Lengerke, Gerlach), to preserve a memorial of her ancestors, whose pictures these teraphim were (Lightfoot); but was probably due to avarice, if the images were made of precious metals (Pererius), or to a taint of superstition which still adhered to her otherwise religious nature (Chrysostom, Calvin, 'Speaker's Commentary ), causing her to look to these idols for protection (Kalisch, Murphy) or consultation (Wordsworth) on her journey.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Now while Laban
וְלָבָ֣ן (wə·lā·ḇān)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3837: Laban -- father-in-law of Jacob

was out
הָלַ֔ךְ (hā·laḵ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

shearing
לִגְזֹ֖ז (liḡ·zōz)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 1494: To cut off, to shear a, flock, shave the hair, to destroy an enemy

his sheep,
צֹאנ֑וֹ (ṣō·nōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6629: Small cattle, sheep and goats, flock

Rachel
רָחֵ֔ל (rā·ḥêl)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 7354: Rachel -- a wife of Jacob

stole
וַתִּגְנֹ֣ב (wat·tiḡ·nōḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1589: To thieve, to deceive

her father’s
לְאָבִֽיהָ׃ (lə·’ā·ḇî·hā)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 1: Father

household idols.
הַתְּרָפִ֖ים (hat·tə·rā·p̄îm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8655: (a kind of idol) perhaps household idol


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OT Law: Genesis 31:19 Now Laban had gone to shear his (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 31:18
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